# Atkins Diet and cigar sickness?



## tuneman07 (May 27, 2007)

I just started the Atkins diet a few days ago, and I just came outside to smoke a RP REO which was my first cigar since starting the diet. After about 10 or 15 puffs I started getting a really strong nicotine buzz for some reason. I just put the cigar down after about 2 inches as my head is completely swimming now and if I went any farther I would definitely not be in good shape. FWIW I smoke heavy cigars regularly and by the end of them I will have a decent buzz going but nothing crazy so the only thing I can think right now is this diet is making me unable to handle nicotine. Kinda makes sense because sugar seems to stop the buzz and I haven't eaten any carbs/sugar of any kind for 3 days now (it takes about 48 hours for your body to use up all the carbs it had stored up). Anyone heard of/experienced this? Also I just finished a huge steak about 10 mins before smoking so its not an empty stomach thing, but steaks don't have any carbs in them either. This really blows if I can't even smoke more than 2 inches of my lightest cigar


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## jmcrawf1 (May 2, 2007)

tuneman07 said:


> I just started the Atkins diet a few days ago, and I just came outside to smoke a RP REO which was my first cigar since starting the diet. After about 10 or 15 puffs I started getting a really strong nicotine buzz for some reason. I just put the cigar down after about 2 inches as my head is completely swimming now and if I went any farther I would definitely not be in good shape. FWIW I smoke heavy cigars regularly and by the end of them I will have a decent buzz going but nothing crazy so the only thing I can think right now is this diet is making me unable to handle nicotine. Kinda makes sense because sugar seems to stop the buzz and I haven't eaten any carbs/sugar of any kind for 3 days now (it takes about 48 hours for your body to use up all the carbs it had stored up). Anyone heard of/experienced this? Also I just finished a huge steak about 10 mins before smoking so its not an empty stomach thing, but steaks don't have any carbs in them either. This really blows if I can't even smoke more than 2 inches of my lightest cigar


i'm no expert, but it makes sense FWIW


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## icehog3 (Feb 20, 2005)

Lack of carbs (simple sugars and complex sugars) could certainly be the culprit.

I have done a psuedo-version of the Atkins diet a couple times in my life...take some early losses and cut it short, it ain't great for the body in the long term. :2


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## bigman (Aug 4, 2006)

It’s been a wile since I did the Atkins diet, so I can’t even begin to tell you what to eat to fix this. I am currently on the South Beach diet, and I like it much better than Atkins, very similar, but you get some carbs, and I just eat a few almonds or some sunflower seeds when I get the nicotine buzz. I just can’t remember if you can have them on Atkins, maybe try some string cheese? 
On a side note, when you’re out of the introduction phase I have a Atkins cheese cake recipe if you want it.


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## zemekone (Aug 1, 2004)

icehog3 said:


> Lack of carbs (simple sugars and complex sugars) could certainly be the culprit.


thats it! no sugar...

personally im not a fan of the atkins diet, except in occations when i have to lose it all fast... more of a caloric-deficit diet...


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## icehog3 (Feb 20, 2005)

I'm good now, did the diet in 2000 after a semester of Master's Courses at the University of Louisville left me with time only for microwave dinners and pizza...my first gut! :r

Did it again a short while back, but did my own version....took in a little simple carbs at breakfast, then no more for the rest of the day. Not the true Atkins diet, but it worked for me and I lost the gut again in a few weeks.

My metabolism is running at high efficiency now, so I take in some carbs in most meals, and cheat a little ice cream or cookies now and then to keep myself sane.

Good luck with the diet, but be careful....you only have one set of insides, don't wreak too much havoc in there.


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## zemekone (Aug 1, 2004)

oatmeal and omega oils huh tom?


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## WoppA (May 17, 2007)

To answer your question yes, it is probably is the new diet..

I'm pretty sure the Atkins diet is unsustainable in the long, long term, and so the diet is really not good cause once you're done you're very prone to gaining what you lost back, at least some of it. I think you might be better off trying something like this.... http://www.bodyforlife.com/ . I am looking into it myself, not only to lose a few pounds but to just eat better in general, and I think that with this you can change the way you eat the rest of your life, not only for an arbitrary amount of time.


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## RPB67 (Mar 26, 2005)

Count calories.

Its the best way to loose weight.

The less you take in, the more you loose.


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

When I first decided to go on the Atkins diet my doctor told me not to completely cut out carbs even in the first stage.
He recommended 20-25 carbs per day for a couple of weeks and then increase to 50-60 carbs per day for the remainder.

I took his advice and 8 months later I had lost 63 pounds. According to him the complete elimination of carbs is not good for your system but limiting them is very good. BTW you can now get low-carb ice-cream,
brownie mix and all kind of other goodies. 

Good luck and do not give up.


PS - Splenda products may help with the smoking as it is made from real sugar.:2


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## Sawyer (Jul 11, 2007)

madurolover said:


> BTW you can now get low-carb ice-cream,
> brownie mix and all kind of other goodies.


Unless there have been drastic improvements to these items over the past few years, they mostly taste like they have been dropped on the ground.


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## ky toker (Jun 2, 2005)

icehog3 said:


> Lack of carbs (simple sugars and complex sugars) could certainly be the culprit.


:tpd: Your body has to have carbs, while not a lot you need to eat them. Just be picky about which ones. And if you've experienced a sugar drop you thats what you can feel like.

While I'm not an Atkins diet expert, from what little I know it doesn't state to cut all carbs unless it is a short period phase. Most of the carbs people take in is a bunch of junk and they do so in massive amounts. *Eat your veggies and fruits!*

When everyone started the high protein high fat diet years back I had a buddy who claimed eating the McDonalds Bacon Egg Cheese biscuit was healthy if you removed the top of the bisciut. :sl

You need protein - shinless hicken breast packs a large amount, salmon+, anything once breathing
You need healthy fat - salmon, almonds, low fat dairy
You need carbs - veggies, fruits, cereals (oatmeal, Cheerios)


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## maddman (May 24, 2007)

icehog3 said:


> it ain't great for the body in the long term. :2


Says who? I know you put the :2 in there for a reason but really their is nothing wrong with a high protein low carb life long diet......

We feel like crap the first while on Atikins because we are depleting our body of glycogen and forcing it to work on Ketons, which it can just needs to adapt again.


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

R877 said:


> Unless there have been drastic improvements to these items over the past few years, they mostly taste like they have been dropped on the ground.


Try some Blue Bunny low-carb ice cream and you will never go back to anything else.
Also try the Bake-Eze brownie or muffin mix.:dr


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## winnie (Feb 27, 2007)

We did Atkins, and it was really the only thing that worked for us...

Unfortunately, the products aren't available up here anymore, and it too hard to sustain the program for us without all the low carb options. Some of those low carb atkins or otherwise products were actually pretty good.


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## icehog3 (Feb 20, 2005)

maddman said:


> Says who? I know you put the :2 in there for a reason but really their is nothing wrong with a high protein low carb life long diet......


I take in about 20% of the carbs I used to, and maintain better energy than when I was taking in 80% more.

My opinion was aimed at the true Atkins diet.....NO carbs. You can have a lifelong diet with low carb....you can't have a lifelong diet with ZERO carbs. I lift weights 5-6 days a week and play competitive hockey 3-4 nights a week. No way I could sustain energy on zero carbs.

That being said, I have been doing low carbs for years, and as I said, my energy level is higher. The one drawback of a high-protein diet...I have had several bouts with kidney stones, which my doctors attribute to that diet.


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## jaycarla (Jun 10, 2007)

Smoke a Kuba Kuba or a Java, sugar problem solved.:tu

All I have is the lame joke no help. I am about to give the Atkins a whirl, if this effects my smokes though, it will be a very quick trial.


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## Islesfan (Mar 1, 2005)

It may just be your body making an adjustment to the change in eating habits. Since its only been four days your body is going through a big change right now. I bet in a few days things will settle down and you'll be fine. 

Or I could have no idea what the heck I'm talkin' about.


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

Islesfan said:


> It may just be your body making an adjustment to the change in eating habits. Since its only been four days your body is going through a big change right now. I bet in a few days things will settle down and you'll be fine.


:tpd: DING DING DING

When I first started the diet it was all I could do to drink 3-4 beers.
I was like WTF but after a couple of weeks I was back to the normal lush I am.:al :al :al


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## tuneman07 (May 27, 2007)

Wow lots of interest on this I see. I will definitely try the splenda thing but splenda is not sugar and will not up blood sugar levels in any way so I'm doubtful. I hope after a few days my body will settle in a bit and handle some nicotine but if not I will try the atkins products after the first two weeks I hope that will work but if not looks like my stogies are going to get some age 

As far as the atkins diet is concerned, junior/senior year of high school I lost about 120 pounds on the Atkins diet. College then ensued and was pretty much an impossible situation to maintain any kind of diet in so my weight crept back up and I gained about 60 of that 120 back. Now that I have graduated and am in a more normal living situation its much easier to maintain the diet. The first two weeks of this diet are absolutely the most important part and you must not cheat at all. After 4 or 5 days of sub 20 carbs (really should keep as close to zero as possible 20 is the absolute max and I find it hinders the effect) you will notice a lot more energy even though the first 2 or 3 days you will notice less energy. The energy is probably the coolest part of this diet- you will never get tired throughout the day, you feel 100 percent great when you wake up, you get to bed easily, its amazing. After 4 or 5 days your cravings are gone too, although the first 4 or 5 can be hard but its only 4 or 5 days. The appetite suppression effects are incredible too and you will notice you don't get cravings or need to eat nearly as much to be full. After 2 weeks I was losing anywhere from 2-4 pounds a week eating 20 to 80 carbs a day. If I ate 80 one day however it was always best to go 20 or fewer the next day to keep things in line. Its not so bad of a diet at that point- I ate a lot of green veggies, salads, fish, - its possible to do low fat but you don't need to. My dad's doctor (hes a heart patient-my dad not the doctor) was shocked when he heard my dad was doing this diet, then he saw cholesterol, blood pressure, tryglicerides were all down and he could not believe it. He actually has started recommending this diet to his patients because of my dad. He doesn't even try to go low fat though he is the guy who takes the bun off the triple bacon cheeseburger and eats gyros and bacon all day. Its absolutely amazing and makes me feel 100 percent safe doing this diet however I want to. Well this must be my longest post ever lol but I just wanted to share my experiences with this diet- there are a lot of crazy sites out there on both sides of this diet but in the end it seems pretty safe. If any BOTL's out there have any questions don't hesitate to shoot me a pm, I am no doctor by any means but I have experienced pretty much everything there is to experience with this diet so hopefully I can help out


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## bigman (Aug 4, 2006)

Tuneman07 – the Splenda is a very good sweetener for all low carb diets, but it is made from sugar, and if you use a lot of it will affect your blood sugar, but it doesn’t do it in a drastic way, so it may be a very good remedy for the nicotine sickness. But as a general sweetener, I split my uses between Splenda, and Stevia, it is a root based sweetener, and it is quite good as well. 

As far as the Atkins diet not being healthy and no carbs being bad, there is no good answer to these questions/comments. The Atkins diet isn’t a diet it is a lifestyle, and yes when you stop living the life style and go back to junk food yes you will gain weight, it’s just a fact of life, you eat unhealthy you gain weight, unless you have the metabolism of a mosquito. No carbs being unhealthy, as long as you don’t go for an extended time there is no real harm, so the two weeks isn’t really that bad, if you worry, get the keto strips and test your urine and if you are too far in to ketosis, cat some cabs. 

This being said, I do not use the Atkins plan any more, I am on to the south beach plan, very similar, with only subtle changes. And with both of them after I have been on them for a few months, I adapt them to my body and life style, and still lose weight. As long as you eat healthy (really healthy vegetables, whole grains, no processed anything) you will notice that the carbs that you get are more on the low impact side of the scale and you will loose weight and feel healthy. 

So what ever diet/lifestyle plan works for you and you can live with, use it. If you follow the plan and loose the weight and stick with it even in the maintenance phase you will end up healthier. The loss of weight and being more active will out weigh any of the possible drawbacks. 

Besides if you take the proper supplements (fish oil, flax seed oil, other omega rich oils, and a good multi vitamin or a well thought out combo of vitamins) your cloistral will not rise and you will no harm to any of your body’s systems. 

I say good job to anyone who is on any diet, at least you are trying.


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## WyoBob (Mar 6, 2007)

I did the Atkins diet about 4 years ago. I lost 30 lbs and my tryglicerides dropped from over 1,000 to around 150 (IIRC). Cholesterol also dropped a bit although mine was just over the maxium desireable level.I've been eating high protein, good carbs ever since. 

I don't eat sugar, bread (or any wheat product for that matter) and my system functions much better. I have a ham, cheese, onion 3 egg omlet every morning, some ham and cheese for lunch and meat and veggies (green beans, brocolli, salad, mixed veggies cooked in olive oil). For desert, we have sugar free pudding. My wife also does the same diet, lost 25-30 lbs. and we've both kept it off. We both walk 4 miles (minimum) per day, also.

Tonight, I had broiled salmon and mixed veggies. Pudding's coming up

WyoBob


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## The Mum (Mar 28, 2007)

RPB67 said:


> Count calories.
> 
> Its the best way to loose weight.
> 
> The less you take in, the more you loose.


This is the way to go. I have done Atkins and smoked but had NO side affects.


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## bigman (Aug 4, 2006)

The Mum said:


> Originally Posted by RPB67
> Count calories.
> 
> Its the best way to loose weight.
> ...


This actually only works for some people.

Most people will find that if they eat less they will actually gain weight, because the human body was designed in a time where feast or famine was the way of life. When the body sees a reduction in caloric intake, it adjusts by shutting down the metabolism, so that it can effectively store for later use. There for the best way to loose weight is to eat healthier foods in moderate portions multiple times a day. Six meals a day is a widely accepted plan, where you eat a good breakfast then a between breakfast and lunch snack, then a healthy lunch then yet another snack, then a good sized healthy dinner, and a evening snack. The goal is to eat before you get hungry, and if you eat the same number of calories that you can now, just spread out over the six meals (healthy meals) you will see better results than cutting the number of calories. I managed to make it from 260lbs to 400lbs, only eating one meal a day, it wasn't even a huge meal (compared to what I eat now) it would normally consist of between 1500 and 2000 calories, they were mostly from non healthy choices, French fries and fried chicken things like that. Since January I have lost 55lbs, and I have been averring around 1500 to 2500 calories a day, spread out into at least 4meals a day. One of the meal plans I was on the last time I was on a diet, called for my body weight I was supposed to eat six 600 calorie meals a day, and let me tell you, I like to eat, and that was too much for me, so I cut it a bit, and it worked. Currently I eat a light breakfast (around 200calories) a light snack (around 200calories) a big linner ( I work nights so it's a lunch / dinner at around 800 to 1200 calories) and a moderate snack ( around 400 calories), then a light snack (around 200 calories). Light snacks are usually nuts or seeds, or string cheese, meals always include vegetables, and a meet, (chicken, fish, pork, or beef) and moderate snacks are either a combo of nuts and cheese, or an uncle bens rice packet (whole grain brown rice, or brown and wild rice).

Not all metabolisms are the same, some people react well to less calories, my girlfriend is one of them, but the rest of us benefit much better by spreading out the calories we eat regularly, then as we loose the weight we will eat leas, as a side effect of loosing the weight, not loose weight by eating less.


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## omowasu (Aug 9, 2006)

What happens is that as the Atkins diet progresses, your blood sugar goes down significantly from the lack of carbs. As a result, there is less insulin floating around in your system as well.

So, you go and fire up a cigar...

Then, the nicotine absorbed into your system binds with the pancreas. This stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin. Combining the lack of blood sugar with an additional bump in insulin (with no sugar to break down in the blood), you end up with even lower blood sugar (hence the lightheadedness). Had you proceeded further, vomiting would have surely resulted.

I hate to say it, but it would be hard to be a cigar smoker with a very low or no carb diet. When I was dieting (low calorie only), I received nicotine buzzes much quicker as well. Regaining blood sugar (with Gatorade or similar) will stop that buzz quickly.


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## tuneman07 (May 27, 2007)

I appreciate the advice from everyone- Madurolover suggested some more splenda to see if it will help and that's exactly what I am going to do tomorrow. I will put it in decaf coffee. As for the problems many people suggested with the Atkins diet these are problems with every diet. If you come off any diet after losing weight and go back to your previous eating you will end up gaining weight. I personally find it pretty easy to maintain my weight with watching calories and excercise (after college that is) The problem is I really have to restrict calories significantly even with excercise to see any weight loss unless I am on the atkins diet.


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## sailchaser (Jun 16, 2007)

:ssI did a version of atkins several times and it toook of a total of 32 pounds.My doc told me that each pound I took off saves 16 puonds of impact on my hip replacement joints.Thanks for the thread, time to get off garbage food and get my tail loosing some more, continued success on your end.


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## jbock (Feb 22, 2007)

icehog3 said:


> My opinion was aimed at the true Atkins diet.....NO carbs. You can have a lifelong diet with low carb....you can't have a lifelong diet with ZERO carbs.


This is a common misconception with the Atkins Diet. The diet severely limits your carb intake to approximately 20 per day for the introductory period (If my memory serves me correctly, this is somewhere around 2 weeks). Once out of that phase, through carefully selected alternatives, you are allowed to gradually increase your intake with healthy carbs.

Eventually, Atkins trains you to understand the difference between good and bad carbs. Once past the more difficult beginning stages, it becomes a way of life and you realize creative, tasty and healthy alternatives to the norm and it comes very easy.

At no time does Atkins suggest that you move to a zero carb level. You are correct, that cannot be done (without significant health issues).


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## icehog3 (Feb 20, 2005)

jbock said:


> This is a common misconception with the Atkins Diet. The diet severely limits your carb intake to approximately 20 per day for the introductory period (If my memory serves me correctly, this is somewhere around 2 weeks). Once out of that phase, through carefully selected alternatives, you are allowed to gradually increase your intake with healthy carbs.
> 
> Eventually, Atkins trains you to understand the difference between good and bad carbs. Once past the more difficult beginning stages, it becomes a way of life and you realize creative, tasty and healthy alternatives to the norm and it comes very easy.
> 
> At no time does Atkins suggest that you move to a zero carb level. You are correct, that cannot be done (without significant health issues).


Thanks for the clarification. As I had posted earlier, I did my own version of "Atkins", which I guess is closer to the actual Atkins diet than I realized. I had thought the Atkins was a zero carb diet for the first couple weeks.

Never too old to learn.


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## jbock (Feb 22, 2007)

icehog3 said:


> Thanks for the clarification. As I had posted earlier, I did my own version of "Atkins", which I guess is closer to the actual Atkins diet than I realized. I had thought the Atkins was a zero carb diet for the first couple weeks.
> 
> Never too old to learn.


Well, sadly I know all too well. When you discover that you can turn cauliflower into mashed potatoes, you know that you have crossed into the "lifestyle" category!:r

Jim


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## bigman (Aug 4, 2006)

Mmmmm mashed cauliflower, I haven’t had that in a wile, but it is defiantly one of my favorites. It’s a much better substitute than the pork crackling breading on chicken.


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## RaiderinKS (May 10, 2007)

tuneman07 said:


> I just started the Atkins diet a few days ago, and I just came outside to smoke a RP REO which was my first cigar since starting the diet. After about 10 or 15 puffs I started getting a really strong nicotine buzz for some reason. I just put the cigar down after about 2 inches as my head is completely swimming now and if I went any farther I would definitely not be in good shape. FWIW I smoke heavy cigars regularly and by the end of them I will have a decent buzz going but nothing crazy so the only thing I can think right now is this diet is making me unable to handle nicotine. Kinda makes sense because sugar seems to stop the buzz and I haven't eaten any carbs/sugar of any kind for 3 days now (it takes about 48 hours for your body to use up all the carbs it had stored up). Anyone heard of/experienced this? Also I just finished a huge steak about 10 mins before smoking so its not an empty stomach thing, but steaks don't have any carbs in them either. This really blows if I can't even smoke more than 2 inches of my lightest cigar


Quit the Atkins, it is bad for your body. You keep less water around, and without it you can really hurt yourself. Try eating less high fructose corn syrup and exercising instead.


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## icehog3 (Feb 20, 2005)

RaiderinKS said:


> Quit the Atkins, it is bad for your body. You keep less water around, and without it you can really hurt yourself. Try eating less high fructose corn syrup and exercising instead.


Did you read any of the thread?


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## tuneman07 (May 27, 2007)

RaiderinKS said:


> Quit the Atkins, it is bad for your body. You keep less water around, and without it you can really hurt yourself. Try eating less high fructose corn syrup and exercising instead.


Yea thats been hit on a few times 

Just a little update in case anyone was wondering- I smoked a Padron today (first cigar since my initial little episode) and I was completely fine. It hit me maybe a tad harder than normal but then again it coulda just been the cigar- those are pretty strong correct? I had a decaf coffee with a few splenda's so I don't know if it was the splenda as some have suggested or just my body getting a little more used to the diet. Anyhoo all seems good now :ss


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## FriendlyFire (Jun 11, 2007)

Wow I lost 45 on the south beach, maybe you need to drink more water???



bigman said:


> It's been a wile since I did the Atkins diet, so I can't even begin to tell you what to eat to fix this. I am currently on the South Beach diet, and I like it much better than Atkins, very similar, but you get some carbs, and I just eat a few almonds or some sunflower seeds when I get the nicotine buzz. I just can't remember if you can have them on Atkins, maybe try some string cheese?
> On a side note, when you're out of the introduction phase I have a Atkins cheese cake recipe if you want it.


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## jbock (Feb 22, 2007)

icehog3 said:


> Did you read any of the thread?


:tpd:


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